A Cosmic Concert
Rev. Tony Cooke

Do you recall reading the verse in the book of Job about a time “when the morning stars sang together” and wondered what that might mean? It may be that science is now helping to provide some insight on that verse. This was spoken when God was confronting, challenging, and revealing Himself to Job (38:4-7).

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements?  Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

I recently read a fascinating report about scientific findings on the origin of the universe by Dr. Mark Whittle, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. He earned his M.A. in Physics at Oxford and his Ph.D. in Astronomy at the University of Cambridge. In referencing clues about the nature and history of the universe, Dr. Whittle speaks of “the cosmic microwave background” as the “echo of creation” and says that even now, this “evidence for the birth of the universe” is raining down on us, having traveled through space for the last 13.7 billion years.

The report proceeds to say that, “…one of the most extraordinary aspects of the cosmic microwave background is that it tells us the universe was ringing with sound during its first 380,000 years.” He further states that “variations in the microwave background indicate that the sound was the approximate decibel level of front-row seats at a rock concert,” and that “it had the harmonic complexity with quality somewhere between a music note and noise.”

I’m no scientist, but I was glad to see that God said something a long time ago that appears now to be confirmed by science. And it shouldn’t surprise us that God knew all along what man is just now discovering; after all, He was there when it happened.

God is Big Enough

Ever since I took a course in Astronomy in college, I’ve been impressed with the magnificence of God’s creation.

• Scripture tells us, “Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20, NLT).
• David was moved and impacted by creation. He said, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained…” (Psalm 8:3, NKJV).
• Psalms 19:1 (NASU) says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”
• Isaiah 40:22 describes God as the One, “…Who sits above the circle of the earth… Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.”

The ancients could certainly look at the world and the stars and marvel at how fabulously powerful and wise God must be, but we have the additional benefit of some scientifically based measurements. To me, this makes God all the more impressive. If you’re ever tempted to wonder if God is strong enough or wise enough to see you through, just think about the majesty of His creation!  If God is big enough to create and sustain this universe, He is big enough to take care of us. Consider the following:

• As it rotates on its own axis, the earth is spinning at over 1,000 miles per hour (at the equator).
• In its orbit around the Sun, the earth is hurtling through space at nearly 67,000 miles per hour.
• In conjunction with the overall movement of the Milky Way Galaxy, the earth is moving at 1,342,161 miles per hour.

As you read this article, you may think that you’re sitting perfectly still, but you’re not. You’re moving faster than you can imagine, but because of God’s greatness, He is able to give us a pretty “comfortable ride.” It doesn’t feel like we’re moving, but we are!

As fast as earth’s velocity might seem, it is very slow compared to the speed of light. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. With our Sun being 93,000,000 miles away, sunlight reaches earth in a little more than eight minutes (the next closest star to earth is 4.3 light years away). While that sounds like a great distance, keep in mind that our Milky Way Galaxy is 100,000 light years across. That means if you were on one edge of our galaxy, and traveled at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second, or 5.86 trillion miles per year), it would take you 100,000 years to get to the other edge.

Keep in mind, also, that our galaxy contains approximately 100 billion stars, many of which are significantly larger than our Sun. Our Sun, if it were hollow, could hold around 1,000,000 planet earths inside of it, and there are many stars that dwarf our Sun. Astronomers have found one star (VY Canis Majoris) that appears to be approximately 2,100 times larger than our Sun. That means you could put 2,100,000,000 (2 billion, 100 million) of our planet earths inside of that star alone. And there are likely larger stars that haven’t even been discovered yet.

As mind-boggling as all of this is, the amazement doesn’t stop with our planet, our Sun, or our galaxy. Most astronomers estimate that there are at least 100 billion other galaxies in the universe beyond our own, and that estimate may dramatically increase with further technological developments. Many scientists also believe that our universe is expanding or stretching at a velocity close to the speed of light. All of this is because God said, “Let there be…” and He has never retracted or rescinded His Word.

David certainly had it right when he said, “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are people that you should think about them, mere mortals that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:3-5, NLT).

The next time you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the pressures and problems of life, hear God ask you, as He asked Job, “Were you there when the morning stars sang together?” You weren’t, but He was. Remember that He’s the One who stretched out the heavens as easily as you would open a curtain. I’ve shared all of this simply to remind us that God is big enough, powerful enough, and wise enough to take care of us.